Retired Wheaton North social worker like a 'second mom' to students

A wall in Sue Taddeucci's office was covered in photos of former students, many of whom thought of her as much more than a high school social worker.

“She was basically our second mom,” said Paige Wilson, a 2011 graduate of Wheaton North, who visited Taddeucci almost every day during her time at the school. “I could turn to her for anything and everything. She was always there for you no matter what the situation was.”

“Mama T,” as Taddeucci was fondly known, retired at the end of the school year, leaving a void that will be difficult to fill in the student support office.

“She's definitely one of a kind,” said social worker Marc Anderson, who worked alongside Taddeucci and a third social worker. “She really believes in social work. When kids who don't have love come in this office, they feel that, and I think they're going to be missing that: somebody who truly cared about me, not about where I came from or my issue, they cared about me as a person.”

Taddeucci started working in District 200 in 1986, first at Warrenville Warrenville Middle School and Madison Elementary School and later at Wheaton North, where she stayed for 19 years due to her passion for helping students who are “launching into the next part of their lives.”

“I love the excitement of being in a high school,” she said, cautioning that it can be “a really tricky time” for a lot of kids. “It's always different, it's always changing. You always have to really be ready to go with anything that comes your way.”

Taddeucci's job involved many one-on-one meetings, along with regular support group meetings that offered help to student athletes, students of color, LGBT students, students who are grieving the loss of a family member and other populations. It also required Taddeucci to consult teachers, meet with parents and make connections with outside resources.

But other aspects of the job changed significantly in the past 30 years, in particular the introduction of social media and increasing pressure for students to be successful.

“When they come in here it's like, 'I have to be in these AP classes, I have to know what I want to do and go to the right college, go to the best college.' That level of intensity is extreme,” Taddeucci said. “And then you add social media. When I first started out, they had to pick up a phone and call somebody.”

Yet, over time, Taddeucci believes students have grown more comfortable seeking support. In recent years she couldn't walk through the lunchroom without getting stopped by several kids who were excited to see her and wanted to talk.

“We worked really hard, the three of us, to make it not a stigma to speak to a social worker,” she said.

Taddeucci said she believes it takes more than one person to raise a child, but is still amazed she was given the opportunity to play that role for countless students.

“My favorite memory is having families think enough of me to be a part of their lives,” she said. “I'm in awe just to have been a part of so many kids' lives.”

Despite reaching retirement, Taddeucci isn't walking away from social work yet. She has plans to join a clinical practice in Wheaton, where she will work with adolescents a few days a week, and hopes to start doing some volunteering.

“I really can't go from 110 miles per hour to zero,” she said. “I love clinical work, and I love just helping people make those choices and changes along their journey.”